Endocrine Abstracts

Finasteride is a 5alpha-reductase (5α-R) inhibitor used in clinics to treat androgen-dependent conditions, such as benign prostate hyperplasia and androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Its use has been associated with several adverse effects, including sexual complaints. However, to date, no hypothesis to explain such adverse effects has been proposed. This is a consequence of the still incomplete knowledge of the intricate network of motivational, psychological, and molecular inp...

Background: Male hypogonadism is known to be associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events, although the underlying biochemical mechanisms are so far not fully understood. The clinical condition characterized by low levels of testosterone offers a unique model to unravel the possible role of lipoprotein-associated abnormalities in CV risk. In particular, the assessment of the functional capacities of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) may provide novel insi...